A newlywed couple have been left homeless after a devastating blaze tore through their home, reducing it to 'an empty burnt out shell'. The suspected extension lead fire occurred at Jess and Johnny Kosma-Whitty's ground-floor maisonette in Hatton Close, Northfleet, Kent.
Couple Forced to Start Over
The couple, who married last July, moved into the home around a year and a half ago and now face being forced to 'start all over again'. Jess, 30, recounted waking up to a strange sound on the morning of the blaze, initially attributing it to her two cats, Arlo and Theo.
'Our bedroom is next to the kitchen and as I opened the door a massive cloud of smoke hit me, and I could see flames in the kitchen,' she said. 'I screamed at my husband to wake up and we were able to get out the front door. As I was trying to get out, I was also trying to get the cats together, one ran out the window and firefighters rescued the other one. They're both doing okay now.'
Escape with Only Clothes
The couple, together for six years, escaped the home with only the clothes they were wearing after leaving their phones behind. They then had to knock on neighbours' doors to call firefighters. Four fire engines arrived shortly after 5:30 am on May 18, and crews extinguished the flames using hose reel jets and cleared the property of smoke with high-pressure fans. A volunteer response team also attended.
The cause of the fire is believed to be an electrical fault with an extension lead in the kitchen. Jess says the ordeal has put her and Johnny, 29, off using extension leads in the future.
'Johnny's already said to me that when we rewire we're going to have plug sockets everywhere. We don't want any more extension leads,' she said. 'I used to do a ritual every night, I'd make sure the hob was off and locked and that any switches that shouldn't have been on were off. I'm quite safe with making sure things are off, but you just never think that that's going to happen.'
Hard Work Lost
'We worked so hard to get the house sale through. When we moved in we ripped everything out and put in so much hard work and all our money into doing it up to how we wanted it. This year we wanted to relax, enjoy it and start our life together, and potentially think about having children. But now this has happened and we've got to start all over again. It's pretty much an empty burnt-out shell at the moment.'
The pair have managed to salvage a few bags of clothes and a few boxes of belongings. Structural engineers have confirmed the building is safe, and they have started stripping back the walls and ceilings. The couple are sleeping on an airbed at Jess' parents' home nearby while seeking temporary accommodation. Meanwhile, they are still paying their mortgage and facing thousands of pounds in repair costs.
No Insurance Cover
Jess says she hadn't renewed their home insurance, meaning they are not covered for any damage. 'It's really gutting, it's devastating,' she said. 'I kept meaning to get around to doing it. We've been okay, we've been supporting each other and making sure we're both okay, but it's difficult at times.'
Fire Service Warning
The fire service advises that using extension leads, even with space for four appliances, does not mean it is safe to do so. It encourages people to remove adaptors and plug in appliances directly if possible. To avoid overheating and potential fires, appliances using more than 13 amps or 3,000 watts of energy should never be plugged into an extension lead. The fire service also warns against plugging adaptors into one another, as it increases fire risk.
